Who Killed Who
by Dark Metal Queen
Summary: During an Order meeting something dreadful happens the thing is who or what caused it? Rated K  maybe T for later content. I hope you comment.
1. Chapter 1

**Who Killed Who**

On a dark night in an old mansion a few of the Order of the Phoenix member were having a meeting. At the meeting so far was Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Hagrid, Alister, "Mad Eye," Moody, as well as Arthur and his wife Molly Weasley, Severus Snape, Kingsley, and the currently absent Nymphadora Tonks. They were all waiting for Tonks however unlike his character Dumbledore had said that they should go ahead and start the meeting.

"Albus, I think we should wait a few more minutes for Tonks to show up," Molly piped up.

"I agree with Molly," Arthur agreed.

"So do I," Remus and Sirius said.

Severus just stared daggers at the latter two and crossed his arms as he says from the end of the table sitting next to Dumbledore.

"Sir, I implore you not to listen to the latter two. I think we should really start the meeting now. If that pink-haired brat misses the meeting and what we're discussing then that's her problem," Severus says.

"Thank you for you input Severus, " Dumbledore begins, "But since you are in the minority on this subject then I'll have to go with the rest of the group. I'll allow ten more minutes for Ms. Nymphadora Tonks to arrive before starting the meeting."

Severus begins to mope a little about this and Sirius makes s remark at him:

"Don't keep whining Snivelus. I'm sure someday someone will agree with you on something insignificant like your chemistry set."

"Or maybe I should let it slip that the Dementors had let a prisoner escape Askaban. Then Mr. Potter would be without his criminal godfather," Severus retorts.

"Enough!" Dumbledore said, "Sirius, sit down. The same for you Severus."

The two comply and they all continue their wait for Nymphadora Tonks. About five minutes later they all hear a knock at the door and Sirius pushes Remus to get up and open the door. Molly offers to, Sirius insisted Remus get it, but in the end it was decided that either Kreacher or Dobby answer it. Out of the two of the elves Dobby went and answered the door.

"Kreacher won't open the door for a filthy Mudblood."

"That's enough of that," Sirius exclaims and Dobby goes into the massive hall and opens the door.

As he opens the door he notices Tonks is dripping wet from head to foot.

"Hello Nymphadora. Dobby is most pleased that you're here," he says as he gives her that happy child like smile.

Tonks smiles back at him. She couldn't get mad at him for calling her by her first name but her hair did turn a color between a light pink and orange shade.

"Hello Dobby," she says as she returns the smile, "Are you doing good?"

"Most excellent, Nymphadora."

"How many times do I have to tell you Dobby. Please call me Tonks. Wouldn't you prefer to be called Dobby or any other name than Nymphadora," Tonks says emphasizing distaste for her first name.

"Dobby will try Tonks. Shall I show you to the meeting."

"Sure. In fact that was what I was going to ask. Where's this meeting being held?"

"Oh, in the lounge of this great house."

"Really well then where"

Just then Remus Lupin shows his face from behind a corner wall. As he sees Tonks he shouts into the room that she's here.

"Tell Nymphadora to get in here now!" Mad Eye shouts back.

Now Tonks' hair goes a bright orange and Dobby and Remus can't help laughing at this. Remus walks up to Tonks and takes in her dripping wet appearance. Everything from her own customed Weird Sister's shirt to her black sneakers were soaking wet.

"Oh you don't like my new style entitled wet chic?" Tonks told him.

Remus stammers.

"No...I mean yes."

Dobby and Tonks laugh at this.

"Its raining hard outside. A few times I thought I'd be struck by lightning," she told him as they walked to where the meeting was being held.

"Can I take your jacket.. I―I mean coat... I mean..." Remus stammered once more.

Again Tonks laughs at this but says no. By then they were already in front of the doorway where the meeting was. Sirius whistles at the two of them, Molly and Arthur whisper at this, and Mad Eye as well as Severus cleared their throats by coughing to show their impatience and disapproval. Then Remus and Tonks take their seats and the meeting begins.

About an hour or so later the meeting ends and they all have dinner. Most of them could barely stomach Kreacher's food so they all either settled for Fire Whiskey, Pumpkin juice, or coffee. However the peacefulness of this doesn't last and their interrupted by a loud sound.

Crash!

Thunder strikes and lightning lights up the black cloudy rainy night sky. As a result the lights go out suddenly and everyone scrambles around looking for some sort of switch or something to turn the lights back on.

"I've found it!" Arthur calls out as he turns on the light.

"Oh my God," everyone gasps, well all except Dumbledore and Severus.

What they were all gasping about was the limp, unmoving body of Hagrid lying in the middle of the dining room. I his chest was a growing bloodstain. Dumbledore was the first to actually go near him and listen for any kind of heartbeat. After a few moments he says:

"He's dead. Hagrid is dead."

This is a heavy blow and no one knows how to say anything. Finally someone has to speak and it is Dumbledore again.

"It is clear someone here is a murderer," he says in his commanding yet almost all- knowing voice, "But before we figure out who it is we should move the body."

"Where," Arthur asks as he holds his wife.

"I suggest the ballroom."

And so Arthur and Sirius as well as Remus carried the body to the ballroom and laid the dead body on the sofa in a weird sitting lying down position. Molly asks what they're going to do now.

"Well we can safely say that it was a knife that killed him," Kingsley announces.

"Well said," Mad Eye agreed gruffly.

"What we need to do is find out who the killer is. We should also keep in mind that the killer is likely to kill again," Severus said.

Dumbledore agrees as well.

"I suggest we split up into pairs while one of us stays with the body."

They all agree to this and split up into the desired pairs. Sirius and Remus as one, Severus and Kingsley as another, Mad Eye and Tonks next, and of course Arthur and Molly together. It was decided, by Dumbledore himself, that he should stay with the body. Others try and object each saying that they'd be willing to stay with the body however Dumbledore insisted.

"No I insist. Plus someone needs to stay close to the body and make sure nothing else happens to it.

Crash!

Thunder strikes again the same with the lightning strikes which turns off the lights again.

"Lumos," most people said and their wands lights up the room.

"Oh My God," Tonks said as she walks near the end of the room.

"What?" Remus says.

Despite the grave situation Sirius still has time to let out a snicker.

"The body's gone. Someone moved Hagrid's body!" Tonks tells him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Splitting Up & The First Clues**

"God! Where the hell did it go," Tonks exclaimed.

"Calm down Tonks," Mad Eye insisted, "Whoever the murderer is obviously wouldn't want the body found and as Dumbledore said the murderer had to have been in this room. So all of us should decide which rooms each pair will search. Got it."

"But how are we going to decide who searches which room?" Molly asks.

"I suggest we draw straws."

"There are no straws here," Kreacher said as he entered the room.

"There are toothpicks though," Dobby replied as he also entered the room.

"Good," said Dumbledore, "As I stay here the rest of you go into the kitchen."

This of course sounded suspicious but the eight of them went and followed Kreacher and Dobby into the kitchen.

The kitchen was magnificent in a dark decaying way. Though the refrigerator worked, as did the other appliances, it still had a creepy feeling to it. Cobwebs littered the corners, dust and dirt covered the marble tiled floor so much that it looked like there was no floor at all. The tiles were coming off the walls as well as chipping in many places. The wallpaper was peeling as was the paint used to try and hide the Victorian aged wallpaper. The wooden counter top was rotted and with so many holes in it. Knives in plain view looked menacing as if the murderer would decide to kill anyone of them in plain view. And then there was the huge freezer built into the back wall. It seemed as if there was something unknown and dangerous in it.

"What do you think is in that freezer Mad Eye," Tonks said in a whisper.

"Probably nothing," Sirius said.

"Right. Get your head in the game Tonks," Mad Eye agreed.

"But what if there's something in there," Molly says.

"Then we have to check," Remus says.

"Right," Arthur agrees.

"Disgraceful mudblood," Dobby says.

"Excuse me?" Tonks said with an attitudinal disbelief.

"Sorry Ms. Tonks but Dobby felt he had to say that since Kreacher is no longer here," Dobby says innocently as he plays with his entwined fingers.

"Kreacher isn't here?" Arthur said.

"Where is that git?" Sirius asked.

"Yes where is he," Mad Eye asks as well.

"I have a bad feeling that we'll find our answer in that freezer," Tonks says hesitantly.

"You feel it too?" Molly says.

"Yes."

"Well come on then. Who's going to open the freezer door and see who it is?" Mad Eye gruffly says. No steps forward and Mad Eye says impatiently, "Guess I have to do it. Bunch of pansies."

Sirius and Remus take extreme offense to this; Sirius swears yet Remus keeps it in. As this happens Mad Eye walks up calmly up to the freezer door and Tonks creeps stealthily behind him for back up. Remus does the same for Tonks and yet again Sirius lets out a snicker.

"Right behind you Mad Eye," Tonks whispers.

"Yes, right behind you Tonks..." everyone stares at him, "...I mean Mad Eye."

"Be quiet," Mad Eye commanded and then he went back to the freezer door.

Mad Eye doesn't hesitate at all. The freezer door handle stuck a bit so Mad Eye hand to move the handle around a bit for it to begin to open. As it began to open everyone had their wands pointed at it and were in their best action, heroic pose.

_Squeak,_ went the rusted door.

_Squeak!_

The rusty door opens a crack and Mad Eye gets impatient that it won't open faster. Everyone holds their breath as the door slowly opens.

_Squeak!_

_Squeak!_

"Damn it you damn door! Open already!" Mad Eye yells.

"Here!" Tonks says as she points her wand at the door, "Alohomora!"

The door only opens a little more.

"Nice try," Remus says as he pats her her back.

"Thanks."

"Enough chatter!" Mad Eye spoke again as his frustration grew more and more by the second.

It took about ten or so minutes before he could open the door and then...and then...and then...something abruptly fell out of it into Mad Eye's arms. Molly screams as does Sirius.

"Not so manly now are you Sirius," Tonks said absentmindedly as she stares at what had fallen out.

Kreacher.

The mean little house elf had a vacant lifeless look in his eyes. In his back was a dagger and dark red blood spreading all over his back. Mad Eye remains unfazed, though inside he begins to falter.

"I'll take him to the ballroom. The rest of you draw toothpicks to figure out who gets what room," he said as he walked out the kitchen.

Arthur gets out the toothpicks and begins cutting them with a butcher knife. No one takes their eyes off it wondering if he or anyone of them could be the murderer. Tonks and Remus walks over to Sirius.

"Its a shame what happened to Kreacher," Tonks said, "Might have been horrible but no one deserves that."

"Right," Sirius and Remus agree.

"Two dead bodies," Remus says in a dead voice, "Which one of us is next?"

Arthur soon calls everyone around the counter.

"Longest gets the lounge, the next longest gets the Billiard Room, the shortest gets the basement, and next shortest gets the attic," Arthur explains.

They all nod in agreement and Sirius goes first. He pulls the second longest toothpick. As he walks back to Remus and Tonks he sees his cousin rest her head on his best mate's shoulder and Sirius lets out a chuckle.

"Remus we have the Billiard Room," he says.

Back at the counter Arthur says: "You want to do the honors Molly?"

"Yes," and as she grabs a toothpick she ends up getting the longest one that was in Arthur's hand.

"It looks like we have the lounge to look through," Arthur says with a sigh that matches the one his wife gave out.

Mad Eye came back into the kitchen just then and sees Tonks over by Remus and Sirius.

"Tonks, over here," Mad Eye says and Tonks complies.

Before she goes over to him though she whispers something in Remus' ear. Remus gives her a nod as an answer. With that Tonks goes over to Mad Eye and he picks the shortest of them all. Arthur tells them that they have the basement.

"If someone gets the basement it might as well be us," Tonks says.

"Well then lets go there now," Mad Eye replies.

Severus is the last and realizes that him and Kingsley only have one option; the attic.

"We get the bloody attic," Severus, cynically states, "How delightful."

"We have no choice," Kingsley says, "We might as well go now and try to find some clues."

"My money's either on the dog or the werewolf," Severus tells him.

"What did you say Snivelus?" Sirius exclaims.

Sirius wants to fight him, duel him, hurt him in any way. Remus fortunately pulls him back.

"Lets go Sirius," Remus tells him in a calm manner, "You don't want to lose your head over an insignificant potions professor."

Tonks laughs at this and Mad Eye tells her that they should go now. Molly tells Arthur the same, and the third to leave was the team of Sirius and Remus. Lastly though was Severus and Kingsley.

* * *

><p>Within minutes Mad Eye and Tonks were making their way down the stairs on their way to the basement.<p>

"Lumos," Tonks whispered.

"Not too bright. We don't want the killer to attack us if he's down here do we?" Mad Eye says in an even lower but stern whisper.

"I know Mad Eye."

And so as they reached the bottom step they hear a weird sound. Its almost as if beetles and cockroaches were crawling around on the practically invisible floor. Every step they make squeaks, every breath sounds shallow and eerie, and every scent they had seemed to have dulled within seconds.

Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak.

"What was that?"

"Probably just the rats."

"Yes. Yes, of course," Tonks said nervously.

They continue searching but since it was too dark to even see the hand in front of their faces it felt like they were getting nowhere. Suddenly Tonks felt a ticklish, furry feeling going against her bare legs. She points her wand down to her feet and at first all she sees if her tie-dyed ruffled knee-length skirt but as she squints she sees something worse.

Rats.

Rats scurrying against her skin and she lets out a scream. Then with that scream she ends up falling flat on her face onto something hard. She lets out a moan of pain as her hair falls upside down and touches something uncommonly smooth.

"Quiet down Nymphadora!" Mad Eye tells her in a loud whisper.

Her hair turns an even brighter orange as she says, "Don't EVER call me Nymphadora!" Mad Eye blows this off as he helps her up. And then he sees something shine in the light of the wand. Mad Eye leans in and picks it up. The object was a corked beaker with a drop of liquid left.

"Look at this," Mad Eye said.

She did and it looked familiar.

"You don't think Severus murdered Hagrid and Kreacher? Do you?"

"Its a possibility, but we'd better keep this as evidence," he says as he puts it in his inside coat pocket.

"Right. Lets look for more clues."

* * *

><p>In the Billiard Room Remus ans Sirius were busy looking for clues.<p>

"Well Remus I don't think there's anything suspicious in this room lets check the library," Sirius says.

Remus agrees and they enter the library. They search high and low, behind every cobweb and bit of dust. Sirius notices that Remus is in a bit of a hurry.

_"That's interesting,"_ he thinks,_ "That could mean Remus is the killer but...Then again it could do something Tonks whispered to him awhile ago in the kitchen..."_

Remus checks the bookshelf now almost every book is covered in dust and he goes over every single book.

_ "It seems like the most recent books are the ones not covered in that much dust,"_ Remus thinks,_ "...Why is Sirius...never mind...we have to solve this case...About an hour before I meet Tonks in the dining room...Hmm, what's this."_

He pulls out that particular book. It feels heavy in his hands and he notices that there's no dust whatsoever on it. Remus runs his fingers on the letters of the spine and front cover. He opens the book to the first page and calls Sirius over to him.

_"How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found!"_ they gasp.

"You want to keep it or should I?" Remus asks.

Sirius tells him that Remus should keep it.

"Maybe you could use it to get away...or impress Tonks?" Sirius jokes.

Remus turns around in rage, beginning to snap at his friend.

"What are you saying? That I'm the murderer? I could ask you the same thing! You're the one who's been held up in Askaban letting the madness take you over!"

Their argument continues for sometime until Remus gets so angry he storms out the library. He marches angrily down the hallway his angry thoughts unceasing.

_"I can't believe my closest living friend doesn't believe me. After all I've done for him! Well forget it! Sirius can just be on his own from this point forward!_

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going or who was in his way when he slammed into someone knocking both himself and the other person down. How he ended up on top of the other person he doesn't know and he doesn't know who the other person is until...

"Remus, get off of me."

"Sorry Tonks," he says as he gets up and then extends his hand to her, "You need help getting up?"

Tonks takes his hand and they begin to roam the eerie hallways of this mansion.

"Did you find any clues?" Remus asks Tonks.

"Yes, me and Mad Eye found a beaker with a little bit of potion in it. What did you and Sirius find?"

"A book."

"What kind of book?"

"I'll tell you when we get into the conservatory right there."

The conservatory is very dark and ominous. The pitch back night sky frowns on them as it continues to rain and later hail. The only light was from the dim moon. Plants and vines cast scary suffocating shadows in the whole room.

"What the book Remus?" Tonks asks.

Remus fishes it out of his coat and hands it to Tonks.

_"How To Disappear Completely and Never Be F_―"

Whether it was his anger at Sirius or he just wanted to let his feelings known in case either one of them was going to die that night; Remus stopped her with a kiss. This surprises Tonks yet she gives into him. As a result the heavy book gives aloud thud on the white tiled ground. Soon they end up falling onto the floor shattering the pots and vases the plants were in. As the things shattered thunder and lightning strikes again forcing the two of them to pull apart as well as making them face the darkness.

"What was that?" Tonks pants.

"I don't know," Remus replies.

A bloodcurdling scream is let out and Tonks and Remus scramble to their feet to investigate further.


	3. Chapter 3

**Accusations & Visitors**

"Severus, didn't you hear that scream?" Kingsley asks, We should check it out."

"No," Severus says.

"We're not going to find anything here."

"I don't care."

"Stay here if you want Severus but I'm going to make sure everyone else is okay."

As Kingsley heads down the stairway and to the hall. As he walked off the last step he sees that an argument is getting very ugly. From that distance he could clearly see Molly gaining in on Tonks and clearly seeing that this was not going to end good. Kingsley didn't even have to get closer to the scene to hear what they were now saying.

"Where were you? Where were you?" Molly shouted at Tonks.

"I told you I was with Remus!" Tonks venomously said.

"Where? Doing what?" Molly asked.

Remus and Tonks look uncomfortable. Molly begins to circle around them like a hawk until Arthur pulled her back.

"You want to know what we did Molly?" Tonks exclaimed, "You really want to? Then watch this!"

Tonks turns around her hair turns red-orange and she grabs Remus's face and kisses him. This goes on for a minute and then they finally stop shocking both Remus and the rest of the crowd.

"Fine," Molly says, "Then explain why you were walking _alone_ in the hallway. Explain why I found this torn piece of your shirt by the door covered in dried up blood. Explain it all away if you can!"

"Oh, so now _I'm_ the killer?"

"So you're confessing to the murders."

"Unbelievable," Tonks says throwing her hands in the air, "You, Molly, one of the few other people I confide in, think I'm a bloody murderer. I can play the same game and start accusing you of being the murderer! Don't you remember that Dumbledore said that anyone of could be the murderer so for all we know you could be the murderer as well."

"By the way, has anyone heard from Dumbledore recently?" Kingsley asks.

Everyone turns around in shock and shallow gasps. Arthur steps forward and is the one composed enough to speak.

"As far as we know he's still in the ballroom."

"Yes but wouldn't you think that Dumbledore would have called us to him in the room or made something known that he have thought of and would be useful to us," Kingsley says.

"True."

"Then lets go to the ballroom," Remus says aloud.

"What about Sirius?" Molly asks.

"And Severus," Kingsley added.

"Forget them," Remus said, "They can come if they want."

So everyone went and followed Arthur and Kingsley to the ballroom only to find that the door has somehow been locked from the inside. Arthur tries ramming the door down, Kingsley does the same, and on a third try they ram the door together hoping that their combined weight will cause it to open. When that fails Remus barges his way through points his wand at the door and it immediately opens.

They all file into the room and only see one thing lying on the carpet. Everything else looks normal though, everything except...

Dumbledore lying flat on his face with his head turned facing the left wall where the wide window was.

Molly was the one went over to him and laid her head on his chest after checking his wrist for a pulse.

"He's dead," she says.

They all bow their head in silence and mourn this great man. As they find places to sit the take turns commenting about Dumbledore. Kingsley sat in the great armchair, Arthur and Molly on the sofa, Tonks sitting on the sofa opposite the other one and Remus sitting on the arm of the sofa Tonks is on. Some time of this mourning Tonks notices something sticking out from under the sofa. She gets up and kneels down to pull it out.

"Kingsley?" Tonks asks, "Do you think you can get this out?"

Kingsley replies that he can and kneels besides Tonks.

"Do you know what it is," asks Arthur.

"I don't know but I can say that its heavy," Kingsley says, grunting to get the thing out.

Finally Kingsley drags it out and as he holds it in his hand everyone gathers around to see it. No one could stomach it. The again who could handle the sight of a dismembered leg.

Hagrid's leg.

"Someone check to see how Dumbledore was killed," Kingsley ordered, "Maybe he was killed the same way."

Remus does so and gently turns over Dumbledore so that he's facing the five of them. To Remus' surprise, no mark was found on him.

"There's nothing," he says, "Not a mark, not a scratch, nothing."

"The Killing Curse?" says Arthur.

"Could be but seems like it could be something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. It just seems to me Avada Kadava wasn't used."

"Where's the rest of the body?"

"Good question Tonks," Kingsley said.

"And there's something else to consider. If the body was carried here from the kitchen and the next moment it disappeared, how did the person get past Dumbledore? How did they get in and out when no one can enter a locked room."

"We also have three other people who are growing more and more suspicious," Arthur added, "Sirius..."

"Mad Eye," says Tonks.

"And Severus," finishes Kingsley.

"Yes but don't forget the weapon," says Molly, "Where's the knife used on Hagrid as well as Kreacher? Then there's the weapon that killed Albus."

"Its most likely in this room," said Remus.

Something catches Molly's eye, something that gave off a little glimmer, and it was near Tonks.

"What's that in you purse Tonks?"

"So now we get back to the accusations," Tonks says annoyed, "Fine! Here take my purse! Take it!"

And she tosses it to Molly. As she catches it something falls out. A bright, shiny, bloodstained knife. Everyone, from Remus to Kingsley stare at Tonks in shock. She tries to defend herself.

"I swear I didn't do it. I didn't kill either Dumbledore or Kreacher!" Tonks explains.

"Then explain the knife in your bag," Arthur says.

"It wasn't there when I last checked! The last time I checked it was right before me and Mad Eye went into the basement and then again when I was with Remus earlier."

"I'm going to ask you again Tonks," said Molly, "Why were you in the hallway alone before you claimed to have met up with Remus?"

"You think I'm lying? Damn it, I was looking for Remus! We agreed to meet up later but I needed to talk to him then!"

"It explains the torn bit of her shirt covered in blood," whispered Arthur to Kingsley.

"God! So you're all against me now," Tonks exclaims as she gets up and walks to the door, "Burn in hell."

And so she leaves and Remus quickly sticks up for her and says:

"Aren't you all forgetting that there are three other people missing now? Aren't you all forgetting that anyone of us could have killed the three victims and all of you are choosing to blame Tonks."

And Remus leaves as well chasing after her into the dining room.

* * *

><p>Back in the room everyone begins to split up once more and continue their investigation. Not long though a loud thunder shakes up the whole house and more lightning strikes cause the power to go out once more, perhaps even for the rest of the night. In that loud thunder the faint sound of the doorbell rings then, to those close enough to see it, a familiar bright green light flashes, and an echoing thudding sound of something hitting the floor.<p>

The first ones on the scene was Sirius and Mad Eye.

"Ron," Sirius mouths as he picks up and carries the body to wherever anybody is at.

He shouts for somebody to come here and help him. In just a few moments Arthur hears Sirius and sees the body in his arms.

"Is that...Is that...Ron," choked Arthur.

Solemnly Sirius says yes.

"One of you killed him! Which one of you?" Arthur screamed and made a choking motion with his hands.

"So just because I spent time in Askaban accused of murder makes me the murderer of your son," Sirius retorts.

"I was with him Arthur," Mad Eye says coming up behind Sirius, "He didn't kill your son. Sirius, hand him his son."

So he does and they decide to out his body with Dumbledore's and the leg of Hagrid. Mad Eye told Arthur it was pointless laying Ron that way.

"Dead bodies can't see a dismembered leg," was all he said.

So the three of them exited the room and went in search of Molly. Hearing the news she burst into tears joining her husband's salty ones. Kingsley said that it was a terrible and unnecessary loss when Severus was seen finally coming down the stairs.

"Where have you been?" Kingsley asked.

"Don't try to accuse me Kingsley you're not so innocent either. Nothing's more suspicious than one who doesn't seem it," Severus retorted.

Severus and Remus lock their eyes on the other's and they walk up to each other as if a fight is about to begin.

"Where have you been lurking Snivelus?"

"That's none of your concern. I see Moody is with you, where's his brat of a protege or your wolf of a friend?"

"Lets just say things have been interrupted," Mad Eye says and he leads them to the study not far away.

* * *

><p>In the dining room Tonks confides in Remus and tries to wipe her tears and stop anymore from coming.<p>

"I didn't...I didn't kill them," she sobs, "I don't know how it got in there."

"Well we know that no one could have gotten in, "Remus says as he walks to the to the china hutch where all the elegant dishes, glasses, and cutlery were. He opens the drawer of it to see if there's a napkin to dry Tonks' tears, "And whoever is up to this would want to convict the wrong person of this crime."

Tonks nods but she still can't stop the few tears that were falling down.

As Remus gets the drawer open something else comes out besides more dinnerware.

"Tonks," he whispers, "Come here."

"What is it?" Tonks whispers back as she walks over to him.

"This," he says as he points with his hand to the opening drawer.

It opens wider and wider until its about the size of a large rabbit hole.

"A tunnel," she says.

"Lets go."

"Alright."

The tunnel was very dark and very cramped but somehow the managed to both fit in it. Tonks was ahead, with Remus behind her and both their wands were out preparing for whatever was coming.

_Slam_, went the drawer door.

Both of them gasp and say together, "Lumos."

It was too dark to see what the walls were, what slimy, sticky substance covered them. It was also too dark to tell what the ground was made up of. Was it tile, earth, rocks, what or maybe a combination of them all?

"Where do you think this tunnel will lead us Remus?"

"I don't. At best it will lead us to another clue and we'll have two more clues working in our advantage."

"And worst case scenario this leads to the killer and we're dead."

"Exactly."

Tonks stops and holds out her free hand for Remus; he glad take it and they continue along the tunnel.

"Hagrid probably knew too much or did something he shouldn't have."

"Correct," Remus agreed, "And there are too many reasons for the death of Dumbledore."

"But who do you think among us would want him dead? What's their motive? Who had the time, the opportunity to kill him?"

"Well I think we're about to find out, I think we're coming to a dead end."

The two of them pushed the door open and found what it lead to.

"The ballroom," Tonks said as she stood in on place taking it all in.

Remus kneels by where they just exited. It was the fireplace and it was in a weird position as if it were an opened door. Tonks stands right beside him tapping her fingers on the mantle.

"Hmm. Someone has found another way to travel by fireplace besides the floo network," she says, "Interesting."

"A passageway between the dining room and the ballroom. This is the way the killer has gotten around," Remus says.

"One of them. It probably isn't the only way."

"You looked like your aunt a bit when you made that face."

Which one? The weak one or the mental one who's out to get me?"

"It doesn't matter. We need to tell the others."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Chaser**

In the study Mad Eye, Sirius, Arthur, Severus, Kingsley, and Molly gather around the table discussing the current clues so far. Though everyone denied the clues if they had any against them, they couldn't help noticing where the clues were found.

"Really, there's the potion, the book, the knife, the leg, and the piece of clothing as physical evidence," said Molly.

"Don't forget how the bodies were found dead when no one could have gotten to them as well as cutting off a human leg," Severus said.

"Right," added Kingsley, "And how bodies could have been moved from one second to the next."

Suddenly there was a frantic knock, knock, knocking on the door. Soon it became too much to ignore it.

"Sirius, go and open the door," commanded Mad Eye.

Sirius went yo open the door and was immediately shoved aside falling to the ground. Remus and Tonks rushed in and then began to tell everyone what they had found. At first they didn't seem to believe them.

"Yet there is one there. That would explain how the killer got in and out without being noticed to do the killing."

"But that doesn't explain when they could have killed the victims," Molly said.

"Still, if there's one passageway then there's probably more," said Mad Eye, "The question is, where?"

"Mad Eye, where's your eye," Tonks asks.

"Yes, where is it?" Sirius asks as well.

"With that eye you would have been able to see the unseen. Secondly you would have been popping it out again in order to polish it," Tonks says.

Mad Eye gets nervous but quickly hides it. To escape the multiple questions he runs out the room and searches for his eye. Sirius, who was up at this point, begins muttering insults at his friend Remus.

"You might want to try and keep your opinions about me to yourself Sirius. I can still hear them," Remus tells him.

Thunder and lightning crash again and everything gets so much darker. In the panic everyone begins shouting at each other, pushing everyone down in an attempt to feel their way for the door.

_"Ow! You're on my foot Severus!"_

_"Where maybe you'd be more careful if you transformed into a cat and not a dog."_

_'Arthur, stop pulling on my hair!"_

_"Ugh, what did I just fall on?"_

_"On me."_

_"Sorry Remus."_

With Tonks falling on Remus it pushes him against a hard wooden surface which shoves him through a wall. Remus groans in pain but he slides himself out and says, "Didn't it occur to anyone to use Lumos?" He gets up and and forces open the door. They all rush out and begin to continue on their way until the thunder strikes repeatedly over and over again.

"We need to find Mad Eye now," said Arthur.

"Right, "added Molly and Tonks at the same time.

The two of them just stare at each other and turn away from each other in anger. Tonks goes over to Remus and Molly back to Arthur.

Clang!

"What was that?" gasped Tonks.

"It sounded like something at the front door," Sirius says, and he and the rest of the group run to the front door.

When they got their they find the door was open and the hailing rain was being let in. Lying, face down in the doorway, was Lavender Brown. Her arm was extended out in front of her in a bent unnatural position. In her hand was a letter with an elegant ribbon and stamp on it.

Sirius went and picked up the letter from her cold, dead hand. He turns the letter over and over again trying to figure out if its really saying what it is on the front of it.

"It's addressed to Remus," Sirius says not even believing his own words.

Remus takes the steps forward and asks who its from.

"It doesn't say. Here Remus."

His hands shakes as he reaches for the envelope. They shake even more as he tears it open.

"It says that" he stops abruptly before reading the rest.

"What's it say?" Sirius and Tonks ask.

"Give it to me," says Tonks as she goes over to him and her cousin.

Remus numbly hands over the letter to her.

"It says _'I know what you did,_" Tonks read.

"Is that all?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes."

They all stare down Remus. He gets defensive.

"I didn't do anything. I don't know who sent this letter, this note, but I know its lying," Remus defends himself.

"Is there anything else," asked Arthur.

"Sirius checks and by Lavender's foot was a wand. The wand was completely drenched but Sirius took it in and showed it to everyone.

"Now you look so much like a wet dog I can't tell the difference, " mutters Tonks.

"I'll let that one slide my dear cousin," Sirius comments with just as much sarcasm.

"Well its rather obvious," states Severus, "This wand belongs to the werewolf. Either him her the dead girl."

"I have my wand Severus," exclaims Remus.

"So then it must be the girl's."

"Yes, that might be the case but I remember overhearing Herminone telling Ron and Harry that this Lavender girl was bragging how her wand was made of dragon heartstring. If that's the case then you might want to check to see if she has her wand with her. If not than the one in Sirius' hand belongs to someone here," Kingsley stated.

So Tonks went over to Lavender's lifeless body and checked to see if there was a wand. Five minutes later Tonks comes back saying that Lavender has her wand with her.

"Then Sirius drop that wand down," Severus says, "Now everyone, take out your wand."

They all do. Severus, Sirius, Remus, Tonks did so first. Kingsley, and Arthur did so next. Molly however reaches for her wand finding it is not there.

"Molly," Arthur whispers, "Take out your wand."

"I can't," she whispers back, "Its not with me."

Severus walks over to Molly like a snake and says, "Is that wand yours Molly Weasley?"

Severus walks over to the wand and picks it up. He then walks back to Molly and says:

"Is this you wand," he says again as he mercilessly drops it onto the floor.

Molly kneels to pick it up and gets a look of horror on her face.

"So it is yours," Severus says.

"I didn't kill Lavender!"

"Not so fun being accused is it?" Tonks sarcastically says as she crossed her arms.

Remus places his hand on Tonks' shoulder trying to reel her in before she goes off.

"Well now there's five deaths. Four dead bodies we have to find a place for, and a killer who is running rampant," Remus says, "Its not going to do any good turning on each other like we're doing now."

"I say we take Lavender and put her with the rest of the bodies, " Arthur says.

"Good idea but lets not have Molly take her," Severus says snidely.

Molly stares a hateful stare at him and Arthur and Kingsley takes Lavender's limp body into the ballroom. Severus follows them, then Sirius, Remus, and Tonks, and finally Molly enters.

"How the hell can two bodies disappear and only a dismembered limb be in its place," Sirius exclaims.

Arthur drops Lavender's body upon seeing his son's toe, made into a necklace. He kneels in the middle of the room cradling the toe necklace made of his son's toe. All of his composure was gone and his wife quickly goes to his side. Over by the fireplace was was an arm. Kingsley is the first to get to it.

"Its Albus' arm," Kingsley sadly says.

"Maybe the person who removed and dismembered the bodies isn't here," Remus said.

"Mad Eye," Tonks says, "No. No. It..."

"Think of it Tonks. He's not here, he hasn't been here."

"Do you think its wise to talk about someone without an eye?" says a grim whispered familiar voice.

The two of them gasped as a hand is placed creepily on their shoulders. They turn around only to face the one-eyed Mad Eye. Being desperate to get out the two of them immediately leave at the sound of a loud unceasing banging at the door. As he open the front door he says:

"Harry!"

"Hello Remus," Harry says to his old professor, "Have you seen Ron and Lavender?"

Happy to see someone else besides the other people he's currently trapped; he can't stand to see a favorite student ending up dead like everyone else.

"Can I come in?" Harry asks.

"NO! No you can't Harry," Remus replies in a hurried panic. Harry looks surprised and Remus continues, "Look I'm sorry but you just can't come in. Its not a good time."

Harry looks from both Remus to Tonks a few times and makes his own decision about what's happening, but he also decides he has to get inside this creepy house.

"Look I have to come in. A moment ago I saw Ron come here and later on I saw Lavender come here too."

"Look Harry I'm sorry for this but, IMPERIO!" Remus shouts and Harry gets that dreamy trace look that all people get while under this particular curse.

Remus directs Harry out and further away from this place of horror and comes back inside dripping wet. Tonks hugs Remus and tells him that she didn't think he would ever use the Imperious Curse, especially on Harry Potter.

"These are desperate times, there's a killer here and too many people have already died."

Tonks slams the door shut and then slips on the wet floor.

"Are you alright?" he says as he helps her up.

"From falling? Yes. From this night? No." Tonks tells him, "I guess we know what the letter meant. At least in one sense."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," he says, "Lets check the other rooms."

"How about we go to the basement. Maybe that's where Mad Eye was. Maybe we'll find some more clues."

"Right."

The two of them then walk down the hallway and then head down the stairs to the basement. Unfortunately she falls again and falls down the wooden stairs all the way to the bottom of them. Remus runs down them to help her.

"I have the worst balance ," she groans in pain.

"Did you see what you tripped on?" Remus asks before something bounced off his head and landed in Tonks' hand.

"Ugh! I think this is Mad Eye's eye!"

"We might as well keep it with us. Maybe we'll find something else."

"Shouldn't we get up first Remus?"

"Oh right," and so he helps her up and the two of them continue searching the basement.

Keeping to the walls they find one that's surprisingly hollow. They knock on it and it makes a clanging echoing sound. When they finally open it they realize its another passageway.

"Damn. How many passageways are in this house?" Tonks says.

"I don't know, but lets find out."

* * *

><p>"Where's Remus and Nymphadora," demands Mad Eye.<p>

"I don't know," Arthur says numbly.

"Something's not right."

"Other than the fact that your eye is missing?" Sirius sarcastically says.

"I think I have an idea on who the killer is," Mad Eye states.

"And who is it then," Arthur asks, "I'll kill whoever killed my son."

"You agree we've all been accused at some point."

"Yes." replies Kingsley.

"Get on with it," Severus says.

"Consider the people who haven't been accused. The only one who hasn't been accused is Arthur Weasley."

"Arthur's been with us the whole time," defends Molly.

"Exactly. The only other person here in this room who hasn't been accused is Kingsley and then again Severus accused him when Sirius and myself found Ron's body. Severus is right in that regard because no one is more suspicious than someone with noting against them."

"So you're blaming me now?" Kingsley exclaimed.

"No, let me finish," Mad Eye interrupted, "You were with us all the time correct? That just leaves one other person. And technically this person is not a person."

"Dobby?" they all say simultaneously.

Mad Eye nods.

"When was the last time we have all seen that little elf?" Mad Eye continued.

"When Kreacher was killed of course," Sirius said.

"Exactly, has anyone seen him since then?"

They all shake their heads no.

"If you're right Mad Eye and the killer isn't human, then shouldn't we check the kitchen just in case," Arthur says.

"This also explains how the murderer could have gotten in and out without anyone knowing or suspecting," Kingsley adds.

"Quite right. Now lets go," Mad Eye finishes.

So they hurry out of the room and rush to the kitchen door. Mad Eye tears open the door and barges in as well as everyone else.

"Tonks! Remus! How did you get here?"

"Well Mad Eye, when a man and a woman―"

"Ahem."

"Me and Tonks found another passageway. This time leading to the kitchen from the basement," Remus says.

"Have you seen Dobby? Either one of you!" demands Mad Eye again.

"Why?" Tonks asks.

"We suspect that he's the killer," Sirius says.

"NO! No, Dobby can't be the killer," Tonks yells.

"Its the only way that fits," Mad Eye says, "Now where is that git?"

"Dobby! Come out from whatever hole you're hiding in! Come out, come out wherever you are!" Mad Eye continues to say.

Minutes later Dobby does come out after serious threats from Mad Eye. When he questions Dobby the little elf began to act nervous.

"Dobby didn't mean to," he says.

"What? Kill innocent people?" Arthur asks.

"No, Dobby only killed one person and it wasn't Dobby that killed him."

"What do you mean Dobby, " Tonks asks, "What do you mean by, that it wasn't you that killed them?"

"Mudblood will get get away from Dobby!" the elf violently says when he pushes her away.

Tonks falls into a pile of broken glass on the floor. Blood trickles down her elbow to her wrist. Remus and Molly go over to her quickly.

"Wait, Dobby wouldn't talk like that," Sirius suspiciously says, pointing his finger at Dobby, "In fact..."

Sirius walks up to the elf and whispers something to him.

"Blood traitor will pay for what he's done! No one talks to Kreacher's mistress that way!"

"I knew it couldn't be Dobby," bragged Tonks.

"Yes Tonks you were right," Mad Eye says, "Now's tell us Kreacher, where is Dobby?"

"Why have you killed innocent people?" Kingsley added.

Kreacher mutters insults at all of them. Sirius picks Kreacher up shakes him until the elf decides to tell him. He roughly sets the elf down and Kreacher brushes himself off as if he might be infected.

"Start talking you git," Sirius says.

"Kreacher only killed Dobby. Kreacher only moved the limbs of everyone dead. Kreacher only did so because he was ordered to, " the elf begrudgingly said.

"Why," asks Remus, "Why did you do this? Who made you do this?"

"The man thought dead," he mysteriously said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Who**

Kreacher vanishes leaving the group alone without a clear answer. Molly tends to Tonks' wound, Remus stays by her side. Arthur, and Kingsley pace back and forth at a dizzying speed. Sirius was think about what Kreacher meant Mad Eye just wanted to go into action, and Severus hadn't said a word since the elf had left. The thing they all had in common though was that they couldn't believe that their favorite elf was dead.

"Doesn't seem possible that Kreacher killed Dobby," Kingsley numbly said.

"What are we going to do with that git," Sirius wanted to know, "How are we going to bet him?"

"Does it matter if we get him now Sirius? As long as the killer is still around what's the point in going after an insignificant house elf?" Remus replied.

"True. If that elf is telling the truth than someone is not really dead. If Mad Eye is right there's still a chance that the killer isn't human," Arthur commented.

"Well no one is really human if they can kill innocent people without a second thought," Molly said as she was finishing bandaging Tonks wounded arm.

"True, said Tonks, "And keeping to what Arthur said if Kreacher's right then we still have to four people dead. Yes I'm including Ron and Lavender. There's a chance one of them could have done it."

"Severus, you've been rather quiet, " Mad Eye said.

There was no reply.

"Severus," Mad Eye said again.

"Severus."

"Severus."

"Severus."

They all kept calling out his name. Asking questions and calling out his name wasn't going to help though.

"Maybe Severus is the killer," someone said, "How do we know Kreacher isn't lying? How do we know if they are really alive? We checked them, there was no pulse, no sign of life in them."

"Well we could say the same thing about everyone else here in this room. We all have evidence against us. Mad Eye with his missing eye, Severus with his past, Molly with her wand, Tonks with the dagger and torn piece of her shirt, Arthur and Kingsley because of their calmness, and nothing against them, and then there's Remus and the letter. Take your pick. Who could it be," someone else said.

"Sorry Mad Eye, I forgot I didn't know that," Tonks said sarcastically.

"That's enough of your bloody sarcasm!"

"Stop it," Molly commanded, "We're not going to solve anything by turning on each other again."

"Molly's right," Arthur said.

Thunder crashes again and the repetitive lightning knocks out even more power.

"Lumos."

"Lumos."

"Lumos."

"Lumos."

"Lumos."

"Lumos."

And the room is lit up by the six lit wands.

"Is everyone okay? Is everyone here," Mad Eye said.

A head count is taken. Mad Eye points to himself and begins counting. He points to Kingsley next, then, Arthur, Sirius, Remus, and then Molly.

"Nymphadora. Nymphadora," Mad Eye calls out, " Nymphadora! Where the hell are you?"

"Tonks, Tonks, " they continue to repeat her name.

"Did anyone see her? Did anyone hear anything besides the thunder and lightning?" Mad Eye asks.

Everyone else replies no.

"First Severus disappears, then Tonks. Assuming that it wasn't Severus, who else could it be?" Remus asked, "Could it really be one of the supposed dead? And if it is Severus we need to go after him now!"

"That's very touching Remus about your feelings towards Tonks," Mad Eye said cynically, "But there are multiple rooms in this mansion. Tell me how we can split up in so many ways to go looking for him, or whoever the killer is?"

"The passageways," Remus says with a stroke of brilliance, "We'll split into groups of three. Sirius, Kingsley, and myself as one group, we'll take the passage way in the dining room, You, Mad Eye, with Arthur and Molly, take the passageway here in the kitchen."

"That's all very well and good but what are we going to do should any group finds the killer," Arthur says.

"Injure, kill, whatever is necessary."

"Remus I've never seen this side of you," Sirius says slapping his friend on the back.

"Well anyway lets go. There's nothing to lose," Kingsley said.

"Where's the entrance of the passageway her in the kitchen," Molly asks.

Remus tells her that its in the big freezer.

"Just push the last shelf inside it aside and you'll find a door leading into a tunnel."

And so the other trio waits for Arthur, Molly, and Mad Eye to disappear into the freezer before they leave. As the others exit into the hallway to the dining room Sirius says:

"Lumos Maxima!"

"Damn it Sirius. Quiet!" Remus says in a loud commanding whisper.

Soon they enter the dining room and the other two ask where this passage is. Remus says its in a drawer of the china hutch. As he goes over in that direction, and Remus opens it, Kingsley's and Sirius' mouths drop to the floor as the opening opens to a tunnel. Sirius comments that they can't possibly fit in it. Remus proves otherwise and the other two quickly follow him in.

* * *

><p>Somewhere deep inside the mansion was a prison. It wasn't part of the house, but not outside it. Inside the prison was dark, rodent and pest infested, below freezing, somewhat claustrophobic. Slimy, sticky substances covered the cold, coal, brick floors and walls. Spikes, knives of all kinds, dripping liquids of some kind falling from the ceiling, vines shooting up from the floor. Snapping plants in one corner, giant spiders in the next, chains rattling everywhere. Scattered everywhere else were bodies and limbs from more people than just the dead from tonight. Finally, a noose hanging in the middle of the ceiling. Tonks was trapped her, bound and gagged, and she could not escape.<p>

From the shadows a voice is heard, frightening the new victim to her very core. While staying in the shadows, the man who the voice belonged to, ungagged her, stinging her face in the process.

"Who the hell are you?" Tonks yelled.

"Lets just say that I'm someone who know very closely."

"What's with are the killings?"

"Oh, lets just say it had to be done, my little metemagus," he said.

Tonks' hair went bright orange and her anger grows by the second.

The man, still in the shadows, circles around her like a hawk.

"I suppose you're wondering how all this happened. Well I might as well tell you. You won't be alive Nymphadora to tell anyone."

"Drop dead."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You shouldn't have said that. Aren't you wondering how you were found with that evidence? Don't you care to know how all this madness is happening?"

Of course Tonks was but she didn't say show. She just hoped that no one would die because they were trying to be heroic.

"I see," the man says, "You don't want the people you love to risk themselves for you. Not your dear cousin Sirius, your boyfriend Remus, your mentor Mad Eye, nor any of the other ones you hold so dear. But tell me, will they feel the same once they find out you've confessed to murder?"

"That's your game? Killing all these people and pinning it on someone innocent."

"Ah, but you my dear already have evidence pointing against you. The knife, the piece of your shirt. Sure there will be few who believe you didn't commit these murders but what will they think once you're dead?"

"And let me guess you hawk, you won't kill me now, you want the best audience. You want everyone else to be fearful of you, you want them all gone," Tonks says.

"You are smart Nymphadora but here's something you didn't expect," he says, "CRUCIO!"

With a scream Tonks falls to the floor. Once the pain begins to fade a little she asks who he is again. The man decides to come out of the shadows.

"You!" Tonks exclaims and then he performs the Cruciatis Curse again.

* * *

><p>In the tunnel connecting the kitchen to the basement, Molly, Arthur, and Mad Eye hear Tonks scream.<p>

"I wouldn't doubt it that its Tonks screaming," Mad Eye said.

"Then we better get to her fast," Arthur says and Molly agrees.

Tonks screams and screams more and more, each one becoming unbearable to listen to her pain.

"If we can hear her screams no doubt the others can," Arthur says.

"This passageway leads to the basement,right?" Mad Eye asks.

"Right."

"Then there might be another passageway someplace else. For all we know, and it'll be a miracle if it does, that other passageway will lead to Tonks and the murderer."

"Yes, but its a long shot," Molly said.

Mad Eye asks again if they're sure thy didn't hear anything before Tonks disappeared. Arthur says no to this but Molly thinks this over.

"What is it Molly?" Arthur asks.

"I think I might have heard something. I blew it off thinking it was just my ears playing tricks on me. I think I heard a gasp, an almost scream that someone was trying to stop."

"You may be right that it was just your senses playing tricks on you," Mad Eye says, "But for right now it might be all we had to go on."

Tonks screamed again and the three of them hurry fast to the end of this passageway and to the basement.

The basement is as dark as ever and they had to move carefully and slowly to make sure they didn't fall, or more importantly, miss something.

"If only I had my eye," Mad Eye muttered.

"Well you don't so for now you'll have to rely on your regular sight," Molly sternly says.

Another scream is heard, so far, louder than all the others.

* * *

><p>In the other passageway Remus, Sirius, and Kingsley was hurrying down this tunnel as fast as they can. With every scream, they grew more panicked, more rushed, an din Remus' case more vengeful. When they finally reached the end they found themselves once again in the ballroom.<p>

"This didn't work Remus," Kingsley said.

"Yes, we're in the ballroom," Sirius said as well.

"I told you two this is where it leads to," Remus explained, "I was hoping the passageway could be like others. That this one could lead to a different place every time you enter it."

"Well it hasn't and― "

Tonks' screams again and its growing louder and louder and louder.

Remus screams Tonks name out as well and even screams her first name hoping that will get a response from her in some way.

"I don't think that's going to work Remus," Sirius says before comforting his friend, "I know you don't want to hear it but―"

Remus blows his friend's words off and more screams are heard.

"We know if we can hear her this well, she can't be too far, " Kingsley says, "And I don't think Tonks is in any room of this house."

"Damn! You're probably right," Remus said. He begins to pull out his hair, and pace the ballroom with too many thoughts going through his head then he gets an idea, " You're right Kingsley. Its not part of the house."

"What are you talking about Remus?" Sirius asked.

"Don't you remember Sirius what shirt she was wearing?

"Only the part covered in blood but what does that have to deal with anything," Sirius said fear his friend has gone mental.

"Weird Sisters. Got it? Remember when the kids couldn't stop talking about it and one of their bloody songs. A song about death."

"Yes, gave me a headache from the girls screeching about it."

"Think about it Sirius, " Remus says as he shakes his shoulders a bit violently, "What do we do with the dead."

"Have a wake? A funeral?"

"After that!"

"Ahhh," Kingsley said finally getting it.

"Good! You got it," Remus exclaims as he goes over to Kingsley now placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Someone tell me what's going on," Sirius demands.

"Burial," Kingsley said.

"Six feet under," Remus says.

"She's buried alive!" said Sirius, "I'll kill him."

"Kill who Sirius," Remus says, "All we know is where she is."

"We have to tell the others this," Kingsley says.

"Your right," Remus says, "Fastest way would be by patronus."

* * *

><p>And so they cast a patronus to the basement and told them what they found out. As the patronus disappears Mad Eye, Arthur , and Molly can't help wondering if their right.<p>

"It would explain the screaming," Molly says, "And if they're right how do we get there? We don't know where in the earth she is."

"Exactly," Mad Eye says, "And more importantly, if we find where she is, how do save her without her being killed once we get in?"

"Shouldn't we send someone over to the others to make sure they don't do anything rash," Molly suggested.

"Yes dear," Arthur said, "But the person going back would be going back alone. What if the killer gets them as well? He wouldn't leave Tonks but he'd send an accomplice don't you think."

"Apperition Arthur," Molly replies knowing that he meant her, "I'll be fine. Remember the reason you began to fancy me in Hogwarts?"

Arthur can't help but smile at that. He kisses his wife goodbye and watches her Apperate to the ballroom where the others were.

"Molly! What are you doing here?" gasps Remus and Sirius.

"I'm here to make sure you don't do anything rash," she says, "Especially you Remus. There's no way you, any of you can be effective if you just barge in there. And none of us can until we figure out where she is in the earth."

"Sirius actually figured some of that out," Remus said.

Really, what?" Molly asks.

"Well, being in Askaban taught me a few things. For one, to think like one of them, like a killer."

"And?"

"Look, what do you suspect the killer to do? Look for him in all the wrong places."

"So I suggested we get one group to be the decoy and have the other group go to where the killer and Tonks really are."

"And where is that Remus," Molly says, "Tell me."

"What's below the basement? What's deeper than any kind of basement?" Remus asks.

"The ground. The earth where Tonks is be kept prisoner," Sirius finishes.

"I've gone over it all Molly. It appears they're right," Kingsley says.

Molly gets into the other two's faces and tells them they better be right and threatens them. Then Molly Apperates away and tells this to Mad Eye and Arthur. Then the three men discuss how they're going to go about this. They said they had better go and meet with Mad Eye, Molly, and Arthur to plan the plan. So they Disapperate one by one to the basement.

"Bloody hell Mooney, Padfoot, Kingsley! What the hell is going on with you? Have you lost your senses?" Mad Eye demands.

"How are we going to time this, to plan this correctly," Kingsley asked.

"We need to split up again. This time in groups that will be beneficial to the rescue, " Remus states.

"Quite right. We can't rush through this of course," Mad Eye says, "The only other good possible outcome is that we'll find out who the killer is."

"Right," Arthur says determined.

They map out what they're going to do and the new group arrangements. Molly is the one who looks around the basement. She tries to see what was visible and could be a possible entrance.

"Lumos Maxima," she says giving her a better light to see.

Molly continues searching. Rats scurry past her, floorboards squeak with every step she took, walls groan, and spiders take over.

"How's it coming Molly," Arthur says.

She doesn't speak but soon her foot goes straight through a plank of wood and swallows her leg up to her knee.

"Arthur, Kingsley, everyone over here," she shouts for them to come.

First they pull her out and then take note about the deepness of the hole. Then one by one then men ply open each floorboard until they were able to see a few steps leading down into the hole to God knows where.

Nymphadora's words ring in Remus' ears:

_"Damn. How many passageways are in this house?"_

"I think we now have a way to get to them," Sirius says in a surprised whisper.

"Should we really be surprised since the entire night we've seen so many horrors and mysteries in this house?" Kingsley says.

"No."

After some more discussing on what they were doing Mad Eye goes over the plan once more.

"We agree that Molly, Arthur, and Kingsley will be in one group. They'll be the one searching the area where the killer would expect us to go to. Sirius, Remus, and myself will be the one going in. Stick to the shadows. Darkness will be our best cover in this operation. Sirius, you'll be the look out for the first part. I'll take on the killer or whoever is there. There is a possibility that the person there is the accomplice. And Remus, once we're clear you'll help free Tonks. From the looks at you two it seems that will be how you want it. If this gets out of hand we leave. Got it?"

They all agree and not a second later they hear another bloodcurdling scream from below.

"Well lets hurry up."

"We'll leave five minutes after Arthur, Molly, and Kingsley do," Mad Eye says.

Soon though its time to put their plan in action. Kingsley and his group leave and head outside to do their part and soon it was time for Mad Eye, Sirius, and Remus to do theirs.

* * *

><p>One by one the three of them light up their wands and head down the dirt made stairs and into the unknown.<p>

Black, black, black darkness is all that could be said about this passageway. Nothing could be see even with their wands lit.

"Sirius you might want to get in front of us," Mad Eye whispered.

Now Remus as in the back, Mad Eye in the middle, and everyone was getting tenser by the second.

_"She won't die. Not if I can help it," _Remus thought.

_"At least we'll have the killer caught,"_ Mad Eye thought.

And Sirius' thoughts were too chaotic to put into words.

Minutes, hours, days could have passed and it felt like they were getting nowhere it wasn't until they heard another scream before they got some hope that they were getting closer.

Screams pierced the walls, their ears, their very core. They had to hurry up and soon they saw a the room where Tonks was being held.

Sirius creeps to the edge where the arched earth entrance met the dark menacing shadows. An arm extends out from the shadows and its voice says:

"CRUICIO!"

Tonks screams in pain again and this time Sirius can see her writhing in pain. He turns to face Mad Eye and Remus.

"She has some incredible strength. Its amazing she hasn't passed out. It'll be a miracle if this doesn't drive her insane or kill her," Sirius whispers and then he motions for Mad Eye to come forward, sticking to the shadows like they planned.

Mad Eye crept along as well disappearing into the darkness again.

Beat, beat, beat.

Beat, beat, beat.

"CRU―"

"Expelliamus!" Mad Eye shouts.

The wand flies out of the man's hand.

"Incarcerous!" Mad Eye shouts again.

The man is immediately bound by ropes. Back where Sirius is he motions for Remus to go and tells him, "Now. Now Remus."

Remus runs over to Tonks. He notices that she's almost unconscious and that she limp. He unties the tight rope knots as quick as he can.

Mad Eye stands over the mysterious man and demands who he is. With a few kicks in the spine, the stomach, he moves the man to the dim shaft of light.

"RELASHIO! Get up! Get up!" Mad Eye shouts before he shoves the ma against the wall pressing the point of his wand against his throat.

"God. I knew that git was in it right from the start," Sirius whispered.

He rushed over to Mad Eye's side and helped threatened the traitor.

Remus tries as hard as he can to make Tonks more responsive.

"Damn it! Wake up Tonks please," He begs her.

"...Remus..." she barely says, "...Severus...Its Severus..."

Remus turns around and sees his best mate and Mad Eye turning on Severus Snape.

Finally they have him cornered and have forced him to tell them the truth.

"Yes I killed but under the orders of someone else," Severus tells them, "Like that elf said I was ordered to kill by someone thought dead."

"And were you ordered to kidnap Tonks," Sirius demanded.

"Yes."

Despite saying that Sirius still sucker punches him.

"Mad Eye can you take care of Severus?" Remus asks, "We need to get Tonks help."

"Fine," and as they leave he says to Severus, "This will be fun."

* * *

><p>Remus and Sirius leave the hell of torture. Tonks begins to grow even more limp, her skin waxy in complexion and feel. Her head slumps against Remus' chest. The two men grew even more worried once her features began to change and dull.<p>

Once they arrive in the basement and head into the kitchen they demand for Kreacher to show himself. When he does he gives an awkward sort of bow to Sirius and Sirius tells Kreacher to go and get the others from outside. The two of them take Tonks into the lounge and lay her on the black Victorian sofa.

"Nymphadora," Remus says, "Wake up."

Just a whimper for a response from Tonks.

"There's a chance that she won't survive mate."

Remus doesn't really hear him.

"Or you could try the romantic thing in fairy tales and kiss her."

Remus was desperate enough to try it but of course it doesn't work.

"It sounds like they're coming Mooney. I'll go get them and tell them the news."

Sirius walks out of the lounge and meets up with Kingsley, Molly, and Arthur.

"How is she," asked Molly.

"And did you find out you the killer is?" Arthur adds.

"Yes," Sirius says, "Severus. As much as I hate to admit it I think he was telling the truth. There's someone else behind this. As soon as we find him he's dead. He'll pay for what he did to my cousin."

"What did he do? How's Tonks?" they all ask Remus.

"I can tell you but its better if you see for yourself," and so Sirius leads them into the lounge.

What they saw was dreadful. Neither of them had seen either Remus or Tonks like this in awhile.

"We should leave," Molly whispers to Arthur, "Sirius, Kingsley, Remus, come here now."

"I don't think Remus should―"

"Get him to come with us Sirius," I think I have this figured out. Who's the murderer."

"Someone should stay with Tonks though."

"Remus stays alright but its not good for Tonks to hear this yet." Molly says in an even more hushed whisper, "I haven't seen her this bad since she went into that depression."

"We stay outside the door though," Kingsley says.

They agree to this and close the door behind them. The huddle around in a circle and everyone asks what Molly is talking about.

"There's two men who suddenly dead. Hagrid first and then Albus," Molly stated.

"And."

"And there's only a few minutes separating the two. They died under impossible circumstances. All throughout the night we've been finding new clues implicating every single one of us."

"Get to the point Molly," Sirius says.

"Who can possibly be the one to plant the clues, place decapitated limbs, kill, and not get caught? Who would have the skill, the want, the motive?"

"I think I see where you're going with this Molly," Arthur said.

"Good, then you know who it couldn't be."

"I think so. The person would have to be stealthy too. They would have to have the time, have to have everything in their favor."

"They would have to have everything on all of us," Kingsley says.

"Ahhh," Sirius says, "I see your point."

"As much as we all love Hagrid I think we can all agree that he's just not capable of this. He's too nice," Molly says.

"If you're saying what I think your saying love, "Arthur says, "Then that means that the killer is..."

"Albus Dumbledore," she finished for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**How**

"But how," Sirius asks.

Molly walks over to the door and says"

"I'll tell you once we tell Remus. Sirius, tell him to come out and you'll watch over Tonks while we tell him.

As Sirius goes back inside the lounge he sees his friend still leaning over his cousin who was still unmoving. All he could see though that possibly some color was returning to her skin. He walks over to them and traps his friend on the shoulder. He slowly turns around to face Sirius and his eyes look dead.

"Remus the others need to tell you something. I'll stay here with Tonks while you go."

Remus just nods and goes out the door.

"All right Molly, is it true you have the killer figured out?" Remus asked.

"Yes and I'm sure if you thought of it it would be pretty obvious," she says.

"Just tell me Molly."

"Albus Dumbledore."

"It makes perfect sense Remus," Kingsley says.

"It will make perfect sense once I've walked us through it all from the beginning of this hell up to now," Molly says confidently.

A gasp is heard from the room. Maybe it was his imagination but he heard his name being called in that gasp. He and everyone else rush into the lounge to see what was going on, to see if Tonks had made any progress. They could see that some of her color was coming back but not all of it, she still looked like a corpse. Remus knelt beside her once more pushing Sirius away.

"Who's the killer?" Tonks said weakly.

"I don't think we should tell you," Remus said as he held onto her hand.

"Tell me," she insisted.

Remus gave in, he wanted to give her anything at this point.

"Albus Dumbledore. Molly was just going to walk us through on how she found out and how it all makes sense."

"I'm going."

"No."

In the corner of the room Sirius mutters that she's definitely his cousin. Tonks insists and her hair begins to slowly change colors.

"I'm going," she continues to insist as she stares penetrating bullets into Remus' eyes.

Remus gives in. It wasn't really a surprise to anyone since they've seen how they've been acting for the past year or so. Tonks uses him to stand up and shifts her weight to him so she can stand and walk.

"Alright Molly," she says, "Where to first?"

"We might as well start here since this is where the meeting started." Molly said as she walked over to the table and waited a few moments so everyone can join her, "The beginning of this night before the meeting was Albus, Arthur, myself, Severus, Mad Eye, Sirius, and Remus. We were all waiting for you. I think he had a sense that you would be late."

"And," said Tonks.

"So when you did show up he'd know that Remus and Sirius would slightly argue at who was to get the door. Since that was never going to get resolved he had one of the elves open the door. Kreacher would never open the door, but neither would Dobby if he knew what Albus was planning. So beforehand he told Kreacher was he was doing. Dobby would never betray you or any of us that way. Then he cast a spell on the elves to switch their appearances with each other. Which meant that it was actually Kreacher disguised as Dobby getting the door."

Everyone was with Molly so far and they all followed her to the front door to continue. Sirius in the back of the group with Remus and Tonks. Molly with Arthur and Kingsley in the front. Molly, in a dramatic moment, opens the door and lets in the ever pounding rain.

"What's the reason for letting in the rain and cold," Remus shouted over the rain.

"To help make my point clear and understood," replies Molly.

She explains that's this is where Kreacher (impersonating Dobby) invited Tonks in.

"When Remus came and met Tonks here and started chatting Kreacher snuck behind Tonks. Since she was already soaking wet it wasn't hard for Kreacher/Dobby to get a piece of her shirt. As they walked back Kreacher went into the kitchen as he had been told my Dumbledore sometime earlier.

"Kreacher then hid the piece of clothing where only he and Dumbledore knew where it was and went about his duties as a house elf," Molly continued.

Then Molly went back to the lounge with everyone following her. Tonks continued to lean and limp along with the rest of them. Sirius comes over to Tonks' other side and helps Remus keep her up. Then as Molly explains the meeting finishing up, she hurries over to the dining room, the scene of the first crime.

"Worst meeting ever," Tonks complained. Sirius snickered at that and agrees with his cousin.

"The lights go out from the storm momentarily. Everyone naturally panics. Arthur finds the switch to turn the lights back on," Molly continues.

Everyone of them is taken back to that moment.

_"I've found it!" Arthur calls out as he turns on the light._

_ "Oh my God," everyone gasps._

That was when they saw the bloody dead body of Hagrid laying on the dining room floor.

"How did Dumbledore kill him Molly?" Kingsley asks.

"I'm getting to that Kingsley," Molly says, "Dumbledore didn't have to kill anyone. That's why he used Severus and Kreacher, so that's what he did with the death of Hagrid. Dumbledore had Kreacher trick the real Dobby into doing this dreadful deed. When the lights came back on I noticed that something wasn't right. Normally he would be crushed at the death of a friend but this time no."

"Dumbledore acted calm," commented Remus.

"Yes."

Molly led them to the ballroom and continues talking. She comments on how Dumbledore acted suspicious when they decided to split into groups and go to the kitchen to draw toothpicks.

"Before that the lights went out again I believe that Hagrid was still holding on by a thread and Dumbledore knew that. So when the lights went off again he cast a spell to make him vanish. The lights come back on..."

_"Oh My God," Tonks said as she walks near the end of the room._

_ "What?" Remus says._

_ "The body's gone. Someone moved Hagrid's body!" Tonks tells him._

_ "_And so we were left to wonder where the body had gone to," Molly continues and then she leads them all to the kitchen, " I believe that when we were in the kitchen Kreacher planted that piece of Tonks shirt at the door, where me and Arthur would later find it. Then Kreacher after doing so grabbed Dobby and plunged the knife into his back. Being disguised no one would know who really was dead. He placed the other elf in the freezer as ordered."

"And me and you both had that bad feeling once we were in the kitchen," Tonks said.

"Exactly."

Molly goes into how Kreacher hid Dobby in the freezer and then skipped to later when they all searched for clues. She took them to the front door once again where she and Arthur came across Tonks' piece of shirt. Then she skips to the part where Tonks said she was in the hall.

"He wanted all of us to turn on each other, to be separate," Molly said, "We're not a threat to him. Kreacher Apperated to the spot Tonks was and put the knife in her bag. Before that when Remus and Sirius were in the library I believe the book was also planted there by Dumbledore himself before this night even began."

"And then there was that scream," Kingsley added, "That was the second time we were together."

"Correct," Arthur added, "I think I also see where this is going. He planted the book to throw us off, to lead us to another person so we wouldn't suspect him. And when we decided to go back into the ballroom it was locked and as soon as we got in we found Dumbledore supposedly dead and the leg of Hagrid."

"Right, that was where he actually finished killing Hagrid. Dumbledore called Kreacher in here and had him cut off a limb; Hagrid's leg," Remus says, "And Kreacher dragged it under the sofa."

"Where I found it and Kingsley got it out," Tonks said, "And to turn us against each other with even more fear of dismembered limbs, disappearing bodies, and clues against us as well. And he also used the passageways to move the bodies as well."

"Using Kreacher to do so," Sirius said.

"You got it," Molly said as she lead them back to the front of the house, "Now to Severus. He killed both Ron and Lavender, pinning it on Sirius because he was one of the two people there with Ron. Everyone would suspect them because he was framed for those murders long ago."

"And he took your wand Molly early on and when Lavender came with the letter he used the Killing Curse on her. He laid your wand right beside her and quickly Diapperated away to the top of the staircase," Kingsley added.

Molly agreed with him, "When we took our wands out I didn't have mine making it look like I had killed her."

"And don't forget the letter. Dumbledore wrote it and had it ready beforehand. He had Lavender and Ron on this. He had Lavender deliver the letter here, used her as a sacrifice and blamed Remus at the same time," Sirius added.

"Then when we went back inside the ballroom we saw that more bodies were missing and..." Molly chokes up at this part, "...Found Ron's toe...and Albus' arm and Hagrid's leg...And more bodies missing."

Arthur took the toe necklace from his coat and caresses the only part of his son he had left.

"You kept it," Kingsley says, "That could be used as evidence against you Arthur!"

"I'm not going to give up the only piece of my son I have left," Arthur told him.

They decide to drop it and continue to the explanation and to the point where Mad Eye had said that the killer wasn't human. Then they get to the part where Dobby revealed himself as Kreacher and Severus disappeared. He had Disapperated and when the thunder struck again he had kidnapped Tonks and took her to that underground prison. Tonks shudders at the memory of that hell within the hell they were in. Remus holds on to her tighter and Sirius notices this and lets go.

"Remus figured out where she was after we split up into separate groups again," Kingsley said, " That Tonks was underground."

"Molly later found the passageway to where she was hidden," Arthur says.

"And we split up to find them," Remus says as his mid drifts to when he Sirius, and Mad Eye went down to get Tonks and catch who they thought was the killer.

* * *

><p><em>"CRUICIO!"<em>

_ Tonks screams in pain again and this time Sirius can see her writhing in pain. He turns to face Mad Eye and Remus._

_ "She has some incredible strength. Its amazing she hasn't passed out. It'll be a miracle if this doesn't drive her insane or kill her," Sirius whispers and then he motions for Mad Eye to come forward, sticking to the shadows like they planned. _

_ Mad Eye crept along as well disappearing into the darkness again._

_ Beat, beat, beat._

_ Beat, beat, beat._

_ "CRU―"_

_ "Expelliamus!" Mad Eye shouts._

_ The wand flies out of the man's hand._

_ "Incarcerous!" Mad Eye shouts again._

_ The man is immediately bound by ropes. Back where Sirius is he motions for Remus to go and tells him, "Now. Now Remus."_

_ Remus runs over to Tonks. He notices that she's almost unconscious and that she limp. He unties the tight rope knots as quick as he can._

_ Mad Eye stands over the mysterious man and demands who he is. With a few kicks in the spine, the stomach, he moves the man to the dim shaft of light._

_ "RELASHIO! Get up! Get up!" Mad Eye shouts before he shoves the ma against the wall pressing the point of his wand against his throat._

_ "God. I knew that git was in it right from the start," Sirius whispered._

_ He rushed over to Mad Eye's side and helped threatened the traitor._

_ Remus tries as hard as he can to make Tonks more responsive._

_ "Damn it! Wake up Tonks please," He begs her._

_ "...Remus..." she barely says, "...Severus...Its Severus..."_

* * *

><p>"That's when you three saw that the killer was Severus right but he also told you that he did it under orders of someone thought dead, just like Kreacher," Molly says.<p>

Finally they were back at the beginning and had made their way back to the ballroom. It wasn't any surprise that Lavender's body was missing and left in its place was a bloody ear.

They all comment that there is too much blood being spilled and then ask Molly if she's figured out the motive.

"Or I could tell you, since you've clearly figured me out."

All of them jump as the turn around and see the face they have been dreading to see since they figured out who the murderer was.


	7. Chapter 7

**Why**

"Oh you don't have to be afraid my victims," Albus Dumbledore says as he walks around the group like a hawk, " I assure you your demise won't be painful. I am merciful aren't I?"

"What makes you merciful now? Your total lack of disregard for the lives of others," Tonks mutters sarcastically.

"Quiet Tonks," Remus whispers to her.

"No, let Nymphadora speak. Let everyone speak its time to get all questions and answers out in the open," Albus said.

"Well I think we only have one question Dumbledore," Sirius said, "Why did you do this?"

"Yes, tell us," Kingsley said.

Albus leads them over to another room, into the study. They all sit down except for Albus. Arthur and Molly sat on the loveseat, Remus and Tonks crammed on the only armchair, Sirius on the the arm of the chair, and Kingsley sat uncomfortably on the desk in the corner. Albus stood in the middle looking at everyone like nothing has changed. Lastly he looks to Remus and Tonks in the chair.

"I see Remus that you and Ms. Nymphadora Tonks have finally admitted you're feelings to the other. Does that mean I might hear wedding bells in the future?" Albus asks.

"What difference does it make Albus since you told us that you were going to kill us," Tonks says.

"Don't be mean Nymphadora. I'm sure that where you are all going you'll be very happy there," he replies as he crosses his arms behind his back.

"Get on with it Albus," Arthur says.

Albus walks up to him and tells him, "Very well. Now where to begin?"

"How about why you chose all of us?" Sirius says, "Or about the reason you had my cousin kidnapped? Or why Hagrid?"

"Oh yes, the lovable Hagrid," Albus says as he now walks over to Sirius, "Well I suppose I should start with your first question Sirius."

"Then get on with it," Sirius impatiently tells him.

"Sirius! Calm down!" Remus demands.

"Why Remus? According to this _great_ man, this _great_ wizard, we are all going to die."

"Calm down anyway."

"The voice of reason within the last of the Marauders," Albus mocks, "You really are right Remus Lupin, but why don't you let me start with my explanation.

Albus goes around the room one last time and then returns to the center.

"The reason for all of you here, should be quite simple really. In fact I'm surprised all of you clever beings didn't see it when this meeting started. I couldn't have Hagrid here with me by himself now could I? Since there was all of you here as well then there would be someone to blame. Which is also another reason for all the clues."

Remus whispers something into Tonks' ear.

"Do you still have Mad Eye's eye with you Tonks?"

"Yes," she answers, " I know that face, you have a plan don't you?"

"Yes but it depends if Albus does as I suspect him to."

"Then what about the reason for killing Hagrid, for all the killings committed tonight?" Molly asked.

Albus turns to her and said, " For one reason reason, for one person only."

"And who is that?" Kingsley asked.

"Ariana."

'Whos' and 'whats' go around the entire room until someone asks who the hell Ariana is. Albus tells them that she was beautiful, smart, gifted and was very dear to him.

"Ariana is my sister. Yes there were rumors, lies that have been around for years that she is dead. That is true. There are also lies on why she never attended Hogwarts. That I will not say to you but Hagrid knew. The children, none of them knew. Hagrid however knew too much and I feared he would do something hasty once he had the chance. I couldn't risk being turned in or something more dreadful so Hagrid had to die."

"And the kids who came? What was your reason for having them killed?" Arthur demanded.

"I told them if they didn't help me that they wouldn't graduate. It worked on Lavender but not Ron. With Ron I had to threaten Herminone Granger."

He said nothing happened to her when asked if anything did. As Albus finishes telling them all his reasons for this he extends his arms as if about to embrace someone and says,"Now which one of you am I going to kill first?"

"On the count of three," Remus whispered to Sirius and Tonks, "One...Two...Three..."

_ "Stupify!" _Sirius, Remus, and Tonks shouted at the same time as they pointed their wands at Dumbledore.

All three of them quickly shout directions at everyone else. Tonks goes over to Molly and Arthur.

"You two go to the underground prison where I was kept and get the bodies of everyone killed tonight! Got it," Tonks told them.

Sirius went over to Kingsley.

"Kingsley, you take Dumbledore's body to the ballroom and guard him there as well as the limbs. We need to keep the evidence in the one place," Sirius told him.

"Tonks and myself will get Kreacher," Remus said, "Sirius will go get help."

And so they all split up for the umpteenth time that night and went about their plan.

* * *

><p>Molly and Arthur quickly ran to the basement and to the passageway where Tonks was kept earlier. The darkness was stifling and even when they lit their wands they could still see very little.<p>

"What do you think will happen Arthur, or what's waiting for us at the end of this passageway?"

"I don't know," he replied, "From what Sirius and Remus said was that it was dreadful beyond words."

They two of them continued on their way to the prison. At one point as they moved their hands along the wall to keep balance something unknown slides into and onto their hands. Something disgusting, unnatural, and dark. That made them hurry up faster and faster into they were sprinting to the end of this passage. Finally the come to the ending and see the horror their friends told them about.

It was just like how Remus, Sirius, and even Tonks had described it and Arthur and Molly were awestruck. The noose was especially spellbinding. It caught their attention and made them wonder what macabre act this was intended for. Suddenly Arthur notices what's on his and Molly's hands.

"Molly look at your hands!"

She does and what's on both her's and her husband's was a weird ashy blood, slime substance never known or seen before this night.

"Arthur! Molly! Come and help me with this great coward!" a voice calls to them.

They look around and see that its Mad Eye with Severus looking broken and defeated. The two of them hurry over to Mad Eye and it takes all Arthur can do to hold his wife back from attacking the man who tortured Tonks.

"Incarcerous!" Mad Eye shouts with his wand pointed dangerously at Severus. As he pick him up and swings him over his shoulder he says to him, "You're lucky I don't use the Killing Curse you bloody traitor."

Mad Eye asks Molly and Arthur what they're doing here and they tell him that they need to gather the bodies of those who died tonight and bring them to the ballroom. Molly gets the body of Lavender while Arthur gathers up Ron's body and and levitates Hagrid's body out of the prison. Mad Eye follows behind them making sure they're not being followed or watched.

"So did you find out who the murderer is?" Mad Eye asks.

"Yes," Arthur says, "Albus Dumbledore. It makes perfect sense Mad Eye and Molly can tell you, she's the one who figured it out."

"And the motive why?"

"Ariana, Dumbledore's sister," Molly answered.

So the three of them with all the bodies they were carrying make their way back and wonder how everyone else was doing.

* * *

><p>During all that time Tonks and Remus run as fast as they can to the dining room where they suspected Kreacher now was.<p>

Brilliant plan Remus, now where's that horrid house elf," Tonks says.

"He should be here Tonks," he says before he calls out to Kreacher as they head inside the dining room, "Kreacher. Kreacher. Come out now. We need to talk. Kreacher."

Hesitantly, after a few wasted minutes, Kreacher comes out of a normal cupboard. He walks over towards Remus and Tonks and cracks his knuckles and tells another insult under his breath.

"Yes," Kreacher says.

"We need to know what you've done with Dobby's body," Remus demands, "Tell us now."

"Kreacher does not know what the wolf and mudblood are talking about."

"Don't you you you little monkey," Tonks angrily says to Kreacher, "Tell us or you'll end up like Bellatrix."

Tonks points her wand dangerously at the elf and Remus does the same.

"Tell us Kreacher," Remus says.

Kreacher begins to bend a little but asks them a question.

"If Kreacher did have Dobby's body, how would you know?"

"Lets just say a lot of torturing was involved," Tonks said.

Kreacher gives in and tells them what they want to know.

"Kreacher kept the body. Headmaster said he was going to destroy it along with the others. Though Kreacher and Dobby did not get along much, Kreacher couldn't stand the thought that Dobby would be lost forever."

"Where's the body then," Remus asked venomously.

"The last place found. Just buried a little deeper," Kreacher told them before going back into his cupboard. The last thing they heard from him was, "Filthy mudblood."

Remus and Tonks leave and head straight for the kitchen.

"Back there Tonks you definitely sounded a bit like Bellatrix when you said that," Remus tells her.

"How else would I get that damn elf to talk?" Tonks replies with a charming sort of smile, "Now lets go get Dobby."

"Right."

So the two of them hurried into the kitchen and opened the ominous freezer once again. They dig and dig in the freezer, throwing out the pointless junk inside it. Like all the bags filled with who knows what. When they look around them they notice that they practically threw out all the contents of the freezer.

"Is there anything left in the freezer?" Remus asked, "Perhaps Kreacher lied."

"Yes, but what better place to hide an elf's decaying body in a freezer?" Tonks said as she continued searching, "Remus, get over here. There's something we've overlooked."

What they had overlooked was a small box black as death. It smelled of decaying flesh. The wood it was made of looked like it was about to come apart because the wood was beginning to chip off in pieces of various sizes. Tonks picked it up like it was diseased and handed it to Remus. They go over to the counter, hold their breath, and open the horrid box.

Tonks looked like she was about to vomit at the sight of it. It was Dobby of course but the stench was worse when the lid was taken off and it looked like the decaying process had sped up.

"Remus, lets get this body over to the ballroom," Tonks said as she tries to stop any vomit from coming up.

"Right."

And so they run back to the ballroom with Remus carrying the decaying body of Dobby.

* * *

><p>Finally everyone is in the same room, well, all except Sirius. Dumbledore was now fully aware and able to move but he was also bound by ropes and Kingsley wouldn't leave his side. Molly asks if Remus and Tonks got what they needed from Kreacher.<p>

"Yes, and its in that box," Tonks said without breathing, "Remus can you set the body down now?"

"So the Cruciatis Curse doesn't bother you so much but the smell of a decomposing body does," Remus chuckles.

Tonks ribs him and Remus takes the body over to a distant corner where it wouldn't be too much of a bother to everyone. Remus comes back to the middle where everyone else was and asks if Sirius has returned yet.

As they wait and wait and wait for Sirius to come they begin talking. Albus, while all this is going on, begins to writhe around and mumble as he tries to get the ropes to come undone. The ropes are knotted too tight, even for the great Albus Dumbledore.

"Don't even think about it Albus," Kingsley threatens, "Those ropes are so tight that not even the strongest giant can cause them to come undone."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"That will be Sirius," Arthur says, "I'll go get it."

Arthur exits the room and goes down the hall to open the massive front doors. He takes a deep breath and opens the door. It lets the rain in and being dragged in by Sirius was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Arthur tells them to come in and then pushes the doors shut. Arthur leads the two men over to the ballroom he wasn't surprised at Fudge's words when he saw the scene in the ballroom.

"Why the hell is Albus Dumbledore tied up? And the horrible stench? As well as the dead bodies?" Fudge asks.

"Well that's why you're here Cornelius," Arthur says, "There's been a few murders that have taken place here and though it might sound crazy, Albus Dumbledore has been the mastermind behind all of them."

"Do you really expect me to believe that one of the greatest wizards of all time committed such a horrible act?" Fudge says disbelieving.

"You must believe it Minister," Molly says, bordering on pleading, "Dumbledore may not have done the act but he didn't have to. He had help, accomplices."

"Tell you git," Sirius orders Severus and soon after to Kreacher who had Apperated into the ballroom.

Both Kreacher and Severus reluctantly agree that they did do the killings. Although with Severus it could be because he was made to swallow the last drop of his truth serum. As Remus and Kingsley were showing Fudge all the proof they had Tonks fished the eye out of her pocket.

"Mad Eye," Tonks said as she saw him turn to face her, "Catch."

She throws the eye to Mad Eye. He catches it and puts it back in his eye socket with a push. He then tells Tonks thanks with a gruff voice and then clears his throat with a cough.

As Remus and Kingsley finish showing Fudge everything, and later the prison where Tonks had been kept and tortured the minister had to admit it, that it really was Albus who had orchestrated all of this. He soon had other member of the ministry and Aurors to come to this hell of a mansion and soon had the Dumbledore and even Severus taken away. When everyone begins to leave, even their friends Remus pulls Tonks back and leads her into the only place where no murders or clues were ever found; the library.

"What is it Remus?"

"Well considering that everything is going back to normal and that the mystery is over, as well as the killer being caught―"

"Let me finish that for you Remus," Tonks says.

Tonks kisses him and they continue this happy ending into the rest of the early morning and the rest of the day.


End file.
